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Spotlight on: Physiologic Monitoring

CPCE’s Christopher Bonafide, MD, MSCE and colleagues recently published a viewpoint in the Journal of the American Medical Association, in which they discussed the emergence of smartphone-integrated infant physiologic monitors for home use. The authors questioned the utility of these devices for healthy infants, a message that was picked up by Philly.com and other popular news sources. Dr. Bonafide and colleagues urged stronger regulation of these devices by the Food and Drug Administration, and encouraged evaluation of their accuracy by the clinical research community.   

Previous work by Dr. Bonafide to evaluate hospital use of physiologic monitoring systems is described on CPCE's web site

Upcoming Events

Volunteer with the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Students Run Philly Style
The CHOP  Division of Adolescent Medicine is conducting a pilot study to evaluate the combined impact of a running training program and adult mentorship on youth risk and youth resilience from toxic stress, in collaboration with Students Run Philly Style. The study team is seeking volunteers to visit practices at area high schools for five weeks to recruit, screen, consent and enroll 300 youth. The visits will occur on the following schedule: 
Weeks: March 13 - 17, March 20-24, March 27-31, April 3-7 and April 18-21
Days: M, T, W, F 
Hours: 2 pm-5:30 pm

Contact  Adolescent Medicine Fellow Chris Renjilian if interested.

ITMAT Junior Investigators Symposium
Date: March 21, 2017
Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.
The Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) and the CHOP Research Institute are pleased to again co-host a one-day symposium for senior physician-fellows, post-doctoral fellows and junior faculty focused on successful strategies for a career in clinical and translational science. The agenda for the day and registration information can be found here. A novel feature of this year’s program will include a ‘Speed Mentoring’ session during which you will have the opportunity to spend time one-on-one with seasoned faculty members. The list of faculty who have committed to participate as speed mentors can be found here
The number of speed mentoring slots is limited. Attendees should indicate their interest in participating as a mentee in this activity at the time of registration. Contact Anna Greene with questions.

Enhancing Research through Patient, Family and Health System Engagement
Date: Monday April 3, 2017
Time: 8:00 am to 1:30 pm
Location:  Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Blvd. Auditorium and Commons
The goal of the conference is to leverage the expertise available within the Penn community to: (1) enhance opportunities for investigators seeking to perform and obtain research funding for patient-centered outcomes research, and (2) evaluate and enrich the Penn infrastructure to support such endeavors. Click here for more information and to register.

CPCE in
the News!
Recent Publications

Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Outcomes Project - Quality Improvement (C3PO-QI), a multi-center registry, defined initial radiation dose benchmarks retrospectively across common interventional procedures. These data facilitated a dose metric endorsed by the American College of Cardiology in 2014. This study updates previously established benchmarks to reflect QI efforts over time.

Factors associated with persistent colonisation with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
This prospective cohort study identifies factors associated with persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation. Persistent colonisation was associated with white race, prior MRSA infection, colonisation of multiple sites. Conversely, subjects with persistent colonisation were less likely to have been treated with clindamycin. Colonisation at multiple sites is a risk factor for persistent colonisation and may require more targeted decolonisation efforts. The specific effect of clindamycin on MRSA colonisation needs to be elucidated.

T2Candida Provides Rapid and Accurate Species Identification in Pediatric Cases of Candidemia
The goal of this study is to assess the ability of the T2Candida platform (T2 Biosystems, Lexington, MA) to accurately identify Candida species from pediatric blood specimens with low volumes. T2Candida can be used to efficiently diagnose or rule out candidemia using low-volume blood specimens from pediatric patients. This could result in improved time to appropriate antifungal therapy or reduction in unnecessary empirical antifungal therapy.

A Quantitative, Risk-Based Approach to the Management of Neonatal Early-Onset Sepsis
Current algorithms for management of neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) result in medical intervention for large numbers of uninfected infants. This study developed multivariable prediction models for estimating the risk of EOS among late preterm and term infants based on objective data available at birth and the newborn's clinical status.

Funding Opportunities

The Clinical Scholars program aims to provide health care providers with the opportunity to build and develop the unique skills they need to lead communities and organizations toward a Culture of Health. The total award to the grantee organization will be up to $105,000 per team member for a three-year fellowship program. Teams may be between two and five individuals. 

Thrasher Research Fund Early Career Awards (concept due March 14)
The Fund is open to a variety of research topics important to children's health. Both incidence and severity are considered when determining the significance of a problem being studied. In the Early Career Award Program, the Fund is particularly interested in applicants that show great potential to impact that field of children's health through medical research. Both an applicant's aptitude and inclination toward research are considered. The quality of the mentor and the mentoring relationship are also considered to be important predictors of success. The grant amount is based on the actual budgetary needs of the project, with a maximum of $25,000 in direct costs for the entire grant. The duration of the project can be up to two years.

The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award is designed to provide early-career scientists with resources to hone their cancer research skills and explore their own ideas while working with mentors in top universities and cancer research centers. Candidates must apply for the fellowship under the guidance of a sponsor. The award provides a stipend of $223,000 over four years.

Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program (due March 15)
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program offers four-year postdoctoral research awards to increase the number of physicians, dentists, and nurses from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to: developing careers and achieving senior rank in academic medicine, dentistry, or nursing; fostering the development of succeeding classes of physicians, dentists, and nurses from historically disadvantaged backgrounds; improving the health of underserved populations; and/or working toward understanding and eliminating health disparities by achieving senior rank in academic medicine, dentistry, or nursing. RWJF will fund up to 10 four-year awards of up to $420,000 each in this grant cycle. Additional awards are available through partnerships with the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Nephrology, and the American Heart Association.

CHOP Frontier Programs (due March 17)
Designated Frontier Programs must have 3 essential components:

1. Distinctive clinical program that provides extraordinary care

2. Associated translational research program that facilitates further advancement

3. Return on investment that can support our ongoing innovation in the years to come
Selected programs will be eligible to receive up to $1M in Year 1 and up to $1.5M per year, in Years 2 and 3. If selected, the funding will be effective July 1, 2017. All completed applications must be submitted electronically via eSPA by 5pm Friday, March 17th. Contact Victoria Otarola with any questions.

Organization for Autism Research 2017 Applied Research Competition (pre-proposals due March 27)
The annual program aims to promote innovative research that directly supports the autism community by expanding the body of knowledge related to autism intervention and treatment, producing practical and objective results, and providing outcomes that enhance the quality of life for persons with autism and their families. In 2017, OAR will award grants of up to $30,000. Studies can range from one to two years. Pre-proposals must be received no later than March 27, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by August 7, 2017.

CHOP Research Institute Bridge Funding Program (due March 31)
The program provides up to 12 months of funding for laboratory, translational and clinical research projects to enable the continuation of an essential level of activity that can lead to additional external funding. Investigators and faculty with extramurally funded research projects administered through CHOP Research Institute are eligible for bridge funding. Pilot studies or other unfunded research will not be considered.

CHEST Foundation Research Grant in Asthma (due March 31)
The CHEST Foundation, the charitable arm of the American College of Chest Physicians, will award a single grant of $30,000 to a research project that addresses a clinical, population, or community engagement/health services aspect of asthma with relevance to the understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and/or treatment of the condition. Applicants must be a licensed physician and CHEST member in good standing at the time of application. Physicians-in-training (residents or fellows), other healthcare professionals, and clinical researchers with relevant experience also will be considered. Although applicants may be in the later stages of their career, special consideration will be given to early-career investigators and applicants.

Grants of up to $20,000 are available to help support the research of faculty members or post-doctoral researchers affiliated with non-profit human service organizations in the United States and Canada. Areas of interest to the Fund are: studies to develop, refine, evaluate, or disseminate innovative interventions designed to prevent or ameliorate major social, psychological, behavioral or public health problems affecting children, adults, couples, families, or communities, or studies that have the potential for adding significantly to knowledge about such problems.

The mission of the Gerber Foundation is to enhance the nutrition, care, and development of infants and young children. To that end, the foundation is accepting concept papers for health and/or nutrition-related research projects with potential to have a significant impact on issues affecting infants and young children from birth to three years of age. The total requested grant size should be no more than $350,000. Concept papers must be received no later than June 1, 2017. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposals by August 15, 2017.

van Ameringen Foundation, Inc. (LOI due June 9)
Within its broad focus on mental health, the Foundation is interested in encouraging and attracting innovative and practical programs in areas which: 
1. increase the accessibility of the poor and needy to mental-health services;
2. offer preventive and early-intervention strategies;
3. advocate for systemic change with local or national impact.
The Foundation generally awards up to two-year grants in the range of $25,000 to $50,000 in metropolitan New York and Philadelphia. The Foundation has in the past and may continue to increase the amount of a grant based on timely or successful efforts.

Children's Leukemia Research Association (due June 30)
CLRA was founded in 1965 to support research efforts aimed at finding the causes of and a cure for leukemia. To that end, CLRA is seeking applications from investigators for promising research on childhood leukemia. Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded for the most promising projects with the shared goal of isolating the causes of and finding a cure for childhood leukemia. Any doctor at the Ph.D. or M.D. level involved in research on the causes of and a cure for leukemia may apply.

OnPAR Program for Unfunded NIH Proposals
Last year, the NIH received approximately $30 billion in federal support. In spite of this amount, about 42,500 grants were not funded. To address these unfunded proposals, the NIH has a new Pilot Program that is designed to match researchers with nonprofit disease Foundations or with investments from private companies. Through a new collaboration between the NIH and the private contractor Leidos, researchers can now upload their unfunded NIH Proposals into an online portal at the Online Partnership to Accelerate Research (OnPAR). Foundations and other potential funders can review the NIH scores, and decide whether they might be interested in funding the Projects. Currently, this Pilot Program allows researchers with priority scores better than the 30th percentile to submit their abstracts. Interested Foundations might ask that a researcher send their full NIH Application along with its scores. The consensus opinion is that there are a lot of worthy grants being submitted to the NIH, but there is only so much funding available. OnPAR is one way of trying to match researchers with private Foundations. 
About CPCE
We are a pediatric research center dedicated to discovering and sharing knowledge about best practices in pediatric care by facilitating, organizing and centralizing the performance of clinical effectiveness research -- research aimed at understanding the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases in children. CPCE’s multidisciplinary team conducts research on a diverse range of clinical effectiveness topics grouped within four areas of research: